MTS tosses the coin to promote new offer

The movement of the thumb and the coin is controlled by three high power motors that are synced with each other with the help of a timer fitted in each motor.

MTS has launched a special tariff voucher that offers STD calls at 25 paisa per minute and has promoted this offer through an innovative hoarding in Mumbai.

The 40 feetX20 feet hoarding showcases a thumb tossing a 25 paisa coin, highlighting the concept that now STD calls are as low as 25 paisa per minute. The innovation involves a cut-out of a hand and a coin placed over the hoarding. The thumb, measuring 8 feet, is separately attached to the hand. The coin, more than 3.5 feet in diameter, moves up and down to show the toss movement along a path.

In order to make the hoarding live, a mechanical set-up involves three high power motors fitted to work in sync with each other to move the thumb and the coin. The sync is created by a timer fitted in each motor. The timing of the innovation is set such that it will run during peak hours (from 8 am to 11 am and 6 pm to 9 pm) and also for two hours in the afternoon.

The key challenge faced while executing the innovation was to move both the thumb and the coin simultaneously on the hoarding, synchronisation of the motors to handle the thumb and coin, and the timing of the movements.

Ashoo Sethi, chief operating officer (COO), Mumbai, MTS India, says, "The objective was to promote our new proposition - all India STD at 25 paise - in an innovative way to grab maximum eyeballs in the shortest possible way."

The innovation has been executed by out of home agency Apex Integrated Marketing (AIM) in the last week of June and will continue for one month. Two such innovations are placed at Juhu and Byculla in Mumbai.